The present invention generally relates to a jig, and more particularly, to a pellet accommodating and aligning jig which is provided with a plurality of pellet accommodating recesses formed in its upper surface, and first through-bores each extending between a bottom of a respective one of said pellet accommodating recesses and a lower surface of said jig. The end of each said through-bore adjacent the bottom of a recess constitutes a vacuum exhaust inlet and the end thereof adjacent the lower surface constitutes a vacuum exhaust outlet, whereby pellets placed in said pellet accommodating recesses are attracted toward the bottoms thereof owing to the evacuation of air from the vacuum exhaust inlets of said first through-bores towards the vacuum exhaust outlets thereof.
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a conventional pellet accommodating and aligning jig J includes an upper portion 2 formed with a plurality of pellet accommodating recesses 4, and a lower portion 8 provided with first through-bores 14 each formed between a bottom face 6 defining the bottom of each of said pellet accommodating recesses 4 and a lower surface 8. The end of through-bore 14 at the bottom face 6 constitutes a vacuum exhaust inlet 10 and the end thereof at lower surface 8 constitutes a vacuum exhaust outlet 12. Respective pellets 16 placed on the bottom faces 6 defining the bottoms of the corresponding pellet accommodating recesses 4 are attracted onto said bottom faces 6 owing to the evacuation of air from the vacuum exhaust inlet 10 towards the vacuum exhaust outlet 12 in a direction indicated by an arrow 18.
In the known pellet accommodating and aligning jig J as described above, in the case where, for example, pellets of diodes or the like, each constituted by a main body 16a and a bump portion 16b, are to be accommodated and aligned within the recesses 4 in a correct attitude in which the main body 16a thereof faces the bottom face 6 as shown in FIG. 4, the main body 16a of each pellet 16 is directed towards the bottom face 6 by, for example, vibrating the pellet accommodating and aligning jig J during the evacuation of air or vacuum formation so that the bump portion 16b does not confront the bottom face 6 defining the bottom of the recess 4.
However, since the bump portion 16b will close the first through-bore 14 if the evacuation is effected in the state where the bump portion 16b is directed toward the bottom face 6 as in FIG. 5, the pellet 16 is attracted onto the bottom face 6 in the above posture and thus, the pellets 16 are undesirably arranged in a state in which they are mis-aligned within the pellet accommodating recesses 4.